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Online travel agencies, such as Kayak, Travelocity and Orbitz, have made the search for inexpensive airfare easier than ever. Perhaps because of that, many travelers begin and end their search for airfares with one of these sites. Yet there is more a traveler can do to find moderately priced airfares with fewer stops and/or better timing; stopping after the initial search means missing out on these opportunities.

Shop Widely

This tip is so widely and regularly recommended by travel experts, and even travel agencies, that it's a wonder it is not universally followed. One should never stop their search for an airfare after consulting a single online travel agency. Instead, multiple agencies should be searched at the same time, using the same dates and conditions, and cross-referenced. Shoppers using a search engine that helps you do that, like Kayak, should add at least one online travel agency that is outside of that engine's purview. The online travel agencies buy their tickets from wholesale consolidators for the most part, and casting the net widely ensures getting the offerings of as many of those consolidators as possible into the catch. After drawing up a list of two to five top possibilities, the next step is to check with those airlines on the airlines' own websites. Sometimes an airline undersells the travel agencies, and since checking each airline takes only a few minutes, that is a possibility worth investigating. Because of the misconception that the airline price will always be higher than that of the travel agent, this step is often overlooked.

Monitor Airfares Regularly

Shopping for an airfare bargain is akin to trading on the stock market. A shopper who simply buys the lowest price on offer on a particular day may pay more than she should. If the prices seem too steep, check again periodically. This tip was the first piece of advice handed out by Airfarewatchdog.com in their article for Frommer's. During the week, prices may be updated multiple times during the day, so checking at least daily is a good idea. This is a tactic best applied in the last few weeks before the departure date, when prices are most likely to fluctuate. Another advantage of monitoring airfares is that it might show that airfares have dropped since the traveler's ticket was purchased. IndependentTraveler.com refers to the little-known fact that many airlines have a refund policy covering just such an eventuality, but they do not advertise that fact. So, a traveler who buys a ticket only to see the price drop a few weeks later might not lose out after all, but only if he is aware of the price drop in the first place and follows up on that refund.

Put Separate Fares Together

Sometimes the best bargains are made through the traveler's own improvisation. The budget airlines in Southeast Asia and Europe are famously cheap, but Americans can only rarely directly connect to them through major airline flights through the United States, as the budget airlines often operate at secondary airports that are rarely serviced by major airlines. Accessing those cheap flights requires some improvisation, such as transferring from London's Gatwick or Heathrow to Stansted. However, when doing this, it is important to factor all costs into the bill. Budget airlines like Ryanair are notorious for their nickel-and-dime approach to fees, and those airport-to-airport buses and trains aren't free. Also, the hassle of switching airports might not be worth it for travelers encumbered with heavy luggage. This strategy works, but it requires thorough research and careful consideration.